When you think of sustainable industries, chances are the hospitality industry doesn’t immediately spring to mind. But many hotels and resorts are thinking quite deeply about their impact on the environment, and Grand Pacific Resorts is leading the way with help from True Market Solutions.
If you’re a business who deals with food at just about any level — even if it’s just leftovers from the office lunch room — how to best manage food waste is probably at least edging onto your radar. For organizations in the hospitality, food service, or food & beverage manufacturing industries that have committed to a sustainability agenda, food waste is certainly moving front and center. Here’s what your business can do to better manage food waste.
In today’s highly competitive environment, businesses are increasingly focused on balancing profit and quality customer service with a commitment to being sustainable and fostering environmentally responsible operations. One key component of this goal is devising specific strategies for greening supply chains. After all, supply chains often contribute about three-quarters of most companies’ greenhouse gas emissions footprint and have many other environmental impacts.
For 10 years I directed the StopWaste Business Partnership which operates in the East San Francisco Bay Area. More often than not, an employee would contact us to diagnose their company’s situation and to set up a waste reduction and recycling program. But when the “champion” left the company, the successful efforts frequently fell apart.
For many years, I have had to opportunity to work with school districts on a variety of waste reduction and recycling projects. Together, we have calculated the cost of purchasing recycled-content paper, figured out cost saving by using a chipper to process tree trimmings and how to set up classroom and cafeteria recycling/food scrap collection programs. School districts are creative and innovative institutions but can also implement projects that create unintended consequences.
Biomimicry – the study of how flora and fauna address environmental challenges and their applications for human designs and processes – continues to gain influence in the business, scientific and design communities. It seems animals, plants and microbes have a lot to tell us about the development of environmentally pragmatic and economically viable products and services.
Storage. There’s a lot of talk going around these days regarding storage. But just what is it that’s getting all the attention? How does it work? Where does it work? How can it help me? Or is it just another abstract concept that’s found favor with futurists?
